Steam, the leading digital game distribution platform for PC gamers, has shattered its own record for concurrent users, reaching an unprecedented peak of over 40 million players. This milestone was achieved over the weekend, perfectly aligning with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds on February 28, 2025. The platform saw an astounding 40,270,997 simultaneous users, surpassing the previous high of 39.9 million set earlier in February 2025.

According to SteamDB, this record-breaking trend has been consistent since May 2024, with the concurrent peak escalating from 35.5 million to 40.2 million within just over six months. This figure includes both active and idle players—those with Steam running but not actively engaged. Notably, the number of users actively playing games also set a new record, increasing from 12.5 million to 12.8 million.

Throughout 2024, Steam experienced multiple surges in player peaks, notably breaking records in March and July. The recent peak is largely attributed to the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, which alone achieved a 24-hour concurrent peak of 1.38 million players. Other popular titles like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, Dota 2, and Marvel Rivals also contributed significantly, with 24-hour peaks of 1.7 million, 819,541, 657,780, and 268,283 players, respectively.

Despite its success, Monster Hunter Wilds has garnered a 'mixed' user review rating on Steam, prompting Capcom to issue official guidance addressing PC performance issues. Additionally, Capcom has revealed preliminary information about Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which will introduce an endgame social hub for players.

For those embarking on their Monster Hunter Wilds journey, it's essential to explore the game's hidden mechanics and master its 14 weapon types. Our comprehensive resources include a detailed walkthrough, a multiplayer guide for playing with friends, and instructions for transferring your character from the open beta. IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds awarded it an 8/10, praising the game for refining the series' mechanics to offer enjoyable combat while noting a lack of significant challenge.